D-II Weekly Notebook

Baseball

D-II Weekly Notebook

NO PASSING THE BUCS: Barry University's school-record, 40-win season vaulted the Buccaneers to the top of the latest Collegiate Baseball Division II poll after they notched a series victory over then-No. 15 Tampa in Sunshine State Conference action last weekend.

With a league-leading batting average of .349, the Bucs are on pace to break the school season mark as they are 11 points ahead of last year's program record. Yan Gomes - the school record-holder with 80 RBI and 147 total bases - is batting .406, while Danny Lima tops the team with a .418 average and 81 hits. Barry also boasts the top ERA in the SSC with a 3.74 mark.The Bucs remained in first place in the SSC standings with the series win, and look to claim the regular season title at Rollins this weekend.

WORTH THE SACRIFICE: Armstrong Atlantic State has rediscovered the lost art of bunting this season, and will be leaving its mark in the NCAA record books after smashing the previous Division II mark for sacrifice hits.

The Pirates have posted 93 sacrifice hits on the year, eclipsing the previous mark of 78 held by Bryant and Georgia College & State University. The total is also a new school record, which surpassed the mark of 90 set in 1984 when the Pirates competed at the Division I level.

Senior shortstop Juan Dorado tops the squad with 33 sacrifice hits, crushing the previous Division II single-season mark of 23. He needs to one to tie the NCAA all-division record of 34 set by UC Irvine's Ben Orloff in 2007.

A GOLD STAR: Cameron University finished off the Lone Star Conference regular season by sweeping Southwestern Oklahoma State last weekend to claim the league title. The Aggies, who jumped five spots to No. 6 in the latest national poll, have won or tied every series they have played this season.

The Aggies exploded at the plate in game three of the series against SWOSU, belting a single-game school-record seven home runs in an 11-10 victory, while senior designated hitter Nate Arevalo became the school's single-season leader in round-trippers over the week as he belted three to increase his total to 18.

Cameron is the top-seeded team in the LSC Tournament, and will face Tarleton State on May 2.

RED HOT: Catawba College's senior catcher Ryan Query was voted South Atlantic Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player after leading his team to the league championship last weekend. The squad knocked off top-seeded Tusculum College to earn a berth in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Tournament beginning May 14.

The native of Kannapolis, N.C., batted .500 with seven RBI and four home runs in six tournament games. Query ripped a solo home run to ignite a three-run seventh inning as Catawba claimed a 4-3 win in the championship game.

KEEPING PACE: USC Aiken clinched at least a share of the Peach Belt Conference regular season title for the first time since 1994, and the top seed in the league tournament, with a series victory over UNC Pembroke last weekend.

Freshman Stephen Carmon batted .500 with 14 RBI, two doubles and two home runs to lead the Pacers for the week, earning his second PBC Freshman of the Week honor.

After starting the PBC schedule with a 1-5 mark, the Pacers finished the PBC regular season slate by winning its last seven series, and sweeping three of their last four league series. Until a 17-3 loss to UNCP on April 24, the Pacers were riding a 16-game winning streak. The Pacers are No. 4 in the latest Collegiate Baseball Division II poll.